We are going to set Merseyside talking — about itself. Our simple aim here on Merseyside is to get the community talking, and to bring a new form of self-expression through our microphones to Britain’s most lively area.

One particular joy that my staff and I have had these last few months is demolishing the myth that we are the BBC moving in like fearful missionaries to darkest Merseyside. We are not. We are of Merseyside, and our business is Merseyside and everything and anything that happens there. We want to know, and we want to let Merseyside know.

We do this through our programmes. Every day there will be a lively and telling running commentary on the doings throughout Merseyside. Our own day starts at 6.25 a.m., when a young man sits before a control panel that resembles something like that of the most advanced aircraft. From this hot seat he runs Radio Merseyside: putting out our own local programmes and selecting our sustaining material from the four BBC radio networks. His day starts by subbing news, looking at the daily weather forecasts for Merseyside, by contacting the City Police in their studio, and by saying a friendly ’Morning Merseyside. ’Morning Merseyside is our breakfast-time magazine that goes on the air at 7.10 a.m. and runs through to 7.50. There’s a second edition from 8.10 to 8.27. Every day there will be a look back at events yesterday, a look at what’s happening today on Merseyside, with interviews, today’s menu, today’s topic for discussion, today’s bouquet (or raspberry). In short, it’s the sort of programme that those lively people called Liverpudlians will enjoy and take part in.

The man on the spot makes himself a bacon sandwich and cup of coffee, and then at 10 o’clock he is at our daily editorial conference telling us how the day has started for Merseyside. Another half-hour and we are on the air again with a half-hour programme for women called Breaktime, produced by Jim Black, a local man who was once a producer on Woman’s Hour. We hope the programme does our listeners the courtesy of treating them as people — it’s not the sort of thing that’s reflected in the ‘Knit your own royalty’ women’s magazines. But one old favourite comes back: a session of keep-fit classes.

At the recent BBC Radio Merseyside trade exhibition in Liverpool JIM BLACK, a Radio Merseyside producer, welcomes nineteen-year-old Linda Benn, the current Miss Liverpool

Time moves on, and out and about are Radio Merseyside’s radio reporters with the radio car, bringing back live ‘on-the-spot’ news, and at 12.40 p.m. Radio Merseyside is on the air again with a programme called Light and Local. In this programme there is a quick look round at what’s happening now through-out Merseyside, a personal reminiscence, a competition for the best pub joke, a record request, and an invitation for anyone to ring us up and discuss the state of the nation and, of course, the state of Merseyside.

Throughout the afternoon there is a quick running commentary on life as it happens, weather, traffic, information, and anything that catches our eye or the listener’s ear. At 5.33 Radio Merseyside mounts a programme called Spinning Home, in which there is music for those on the move, before joining our nightly look at tonight’s events in Mersey-go-Round.

Merseyside is big on sport, so every night there is a five-minute sports bulletin; on Thursday there is a sports programme for schools, on Friday a preview of all the big events in the sporting scene, on Saturday a three-hour programme of sports news as It happens, with local commentaries, on-the-spot reports, and what is a unique service of local sports results. On Sunday afternoons we are presenting an entirely new type of sports programme in which the men who play and manage sport look back at yesterday. It’s good talk by professionals for those who are interested in more than merely placing a cross on their pools coupon.

MICHAEL HANCOCK (right), Station manager, with two of his youthful team, JOYCE TIMEWELL, a Station Assistant, and TONY WOLFE, the Station’s D.J., who spins a party every Saturday night

Every night at 6.30 p.m. there is a different programme. On Monday it’s good talk by leading citizens about events that have worried, amused, or titillated them—not only on Merseyside but on a national or international scene. On Tuesday it’s the Mainly for men — with women in mind programme, with an industrial programme called Enterprise Merseyside; and on Wednesday a books and arts programme called Orbit. Saturday night is everybody’s big night, and Radio Merseyside marks it by Spin-a-party, in which Tony Wolfe invites you to phone him and he plays the discs for your party. It’s also an open-house night, on which everybody who is anybody in the district drops in to see us.

Lively, Gay, and Compelling

The whole style of the Station will be set by our station identification, which is being recorded by Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers. It is lively, gay, and compelling. And that’s just the task of each and every one of the eighteen members of the staff who are based at Commerce House in the heart of Liverpool. From this penthouse a team of young people — their average age is just over thirty — take part in the challenging task of presenting Merseyside to Merseyside.

At Allerton Golf Course, eight miles from the city centre, is Radio Merseyside’s powerful transmitter — it covers the largest area of any local station in Britain. It reaches beyond Southport, Ormskirk, Warrington, Chester, and the Wirral, serving at least three million people. Radio Merseyside is by far the largest means of mass communication on Merseyside.

Merseyside’s a friendly place, and everyone we have met seems prepared to help — not only the local authorities and local industry and churches and arts forums, but also the man in the street. Offers of help range from Station mascots to a complete programme schedule from a group of elderly ladies in Formby.

The BBC is often accused of celebrating false anniversaries. November 22, 1968, will mark a very real anniversary in the life of Merseyside. Merseyside’s own local radio station will be one year old. and its effect upon the life of the community will then be possible to assess. No one member of my staff or I have got a crystal ball, but one could work for five lifetimes in broadcasting without having the opportunity that now lies before us.

On November 22, Merseyside will tune in to 95.85 and see what we make of that opportunity.

JENNY COLLINS, a Station Assistant, conducting an interview in Liverpool’s famous Penny Lane. Interviews can be broadcast live with the aid of a Radio car, which has a transmitting range of over ten miles

CLIFF WRIGHT, Station Engineer at BBC Radio Merseyside

GERRY HARRISON and BOB AZURDIA, Programme Assistants

What’s on your own station on VHF 95.85

This is the weekly programme pattern; additional news broadcasts are inserted as they become available.

The programmes in bold type are exclusive to BBC Radio Merseyside. They will be printed in Radio Times every week.

p.m. 12.0 Motoring and the Motorist12.25 News, weather, sport 12.30 Sports Parade 1.0 The Jack Jackson Show1.55 Job for Today; Hint for the handyman 2.0 Radio 3 Sports Parade interspersed with local commentaries. news, and sports flashes from today’s big events on Merseyside 5.0 Sports Report5.40 Full Time; The sports scene reviewed, with on-the-spot reports and local league results 6.0 News and Radio Newsreel6.25 Local news, weather, sport 6.32 Scene and Heard As Radio 2 until 10.010.0 Spin-a-party with Tony Wolfe 11.30 Pete’s People As Radio 1 until 2.2 a.m.

p.m. 12.0 Midday Spin12.40 Light and Local; News, weather, traffic, Radio Merseyside pub joke competition 1.0 The World at One 1.30 The Archers 1.45 Listen with Mother 2.0 Woman’s Hour 3.0 The Pete Brady Show 4 15 The Dales4.30 Local News, programme information 4 32 Roundabout 5.30 News summary, weather5.33 Spinning Home; A programme of music on record 6.0 News6.5 Mersey-go-Round; News, weather, traffic, topicality6.25 Sports News6.30 Live on the Air; A live discussion with three of Merseyside’s leading citizens6.45 Off the Record; A request show 7.30 News Time7.45 Town Talk; Local Authority programme, including highlights from last week’s meetings and preview of coming events 8.15 The Clitheroe Kid As Radio 1 until 2.2 a m.

p.m. 12.0 Midday Spin12.40 Light and Local; including News, traffic, weather 1.0 The World at One 1.30 The Archers 1.45 Listen with Mother 2.0 Woman’s Hour 3.0 The Pete Brady Show 4.15 The Dales4.30 Local News, programme information 4.32 Roundabout 5.30 News summary, weather5.33 Spinning Home; A programme of music on record 6.0 News6.5 Mersey-go-Round; News, weather, traffic, topicality6.25 Sports News6.30 Orbit; The world of arts and literature (Last Wednesday in the month: At Ease!)7.0 Somebody in Particular; Personality record request programme 7.30 News Time As Radio 1 until 2.2 a m.

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You Say

Dave Rhodes wrote22 November 2017 at 12:59 pm

Love these early bits and pieces schedules from BBC Locals. The reference to ‘knit your own royalty’ women’s magazines is very much of its time – these days, they are more ‘who’s fat/thin this week’

Paul Mason wrote22 November 2017 at 6:32 pm

The re wasn’t a lot local on RM in the early days, it looks like opt outs from BBC Radios 1 and 2 The current RM is presenter led strip shows with weekday evenings being an all England show.RM used tbeword “community” a lot but was a sub-regional station. Cheshire should have got its own station instead of split between three local stations. RM does broadcast ethnic shows but the Asian one has gone, but Chinese and African origin shows are still on. RM was only available on FM which would not have been a problem had the station started in 1980,but FM radios were not common in 1967, and the 1485 AM frequency became available in 1972. RM had many informative and educational shows in the 70s and 80s but economies over the years have killed them off. RM has always aimed at an older audience. RM has three long term presenters Billy Butler and Roger Phillips since the 70s and Linda McDermott since 1988. Alan Jackson had a 30 year stint , latterly on sport until his retirement. Of the article Jenny Collins retired after many years at RM Bob Azurdia conducted many interviews and other shows from 1967 until his death in 1996. One of his interviewees , the RC Archbishop of Liverpool Derek Worlock died the same week.To end I will mention Billy Butlers phone in game show Hold Your Plums which became a legend on BBC Local Radio.

Paul Mason wrote23 November 2017 at 12:30 am

Like early ITV shows many of the RM programmes were only 10, 15 or 20 minutes long- hardly enough time to get going!

Paul Mason wrote24 November 2017 at 12:01 am

I shamefully forgot to mention among long term presenters the following, Spencer Leigh an encyclopaedia of Merseybeat and British rock and roll who has had a regular show since 1981, who is sadly called on for obituaries these days. Other, sadly dead presenters were Kenny Johnson, who did country music, Stan Ambrose (folk) and Monty Lister, a pioneer of hospital radio whose Tune Tonic ran for many years. Eric Hardy was a nature columnist whose weekly show ran for 30 years. Another programme was Music and Memories of the 30s which ran until the millennium. The writer Alan Bleasdale started in the 1970s reading his Scilly stories, although he’s moved on to greater things.

Paul Mason wrote27 November 2017 at 8:16 am

The launch day opening was repeated on the 10th anniversary in 1977. This featured presenters located at Liverpool Airport, on a ferryboat with a blast on the horn to oblige, and Keith Macklin at the excavation site of the second Mersey road tunnel which opened in June 1971. KM contributed greatly to Merseysides early years mainly as a sport presenter. This is as well as being on BBC1 Look North. Sadly Keith Macklin died some years ago. I must point out Alan Bleasdales writing career started with his SCULLY stories.